Hartnett takes helm as Westport planner

Jim Hartnett is finally working in his hometown. After a lengthy stint working in Fall River's Planning Department, the Westport native was named April 1 to fill his hometown's vacant town planner position at an annual salary of $66,000.

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By NED BRADY

southcoasttoday.com

By NED BRADY

Posted May. 6, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By NED BRADY
Posted May. 6, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

WESTPORT — Jim Hartnett is finally working in his hometown.

After a lengthy stint working in Fall River's Planning Department, the Westport native was named April 1 to fill his hometown's vacant town planner position at an annual salary of $66,000.

Hartnett previously spent 23 years in Fall River's Planning department, including 15 years as planner. He was fired by Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan over unspecified differences in November 2011.

He initially was expected only to be an interim planner for Westport, as he was named to the New Bedford city planner's position in January by Mayor Jon Mitchell. However, Hartnett removed his name from consideration on Feb. 19, the same day his appointment was to be voted on.

Several city councilors had said they weren't willing to vote for him because he wasn't willing to move from Westport to New Bedford. Hartnett said he was unwilling to move because he has three children currently in the Westport school district.

As a Westport native, Hartnett said he is familiar with local dynamics.

"Conserving open space and being a right-to-farm community, that's part of Westport," Hartnett said. "It's important to protect that."

He has a full plate going forward. He said the town's Master Plan and preparations for a potential incoming solar energy array are his immediate priorities.

A proposed zoning bylaw for solar energy systems is on the warrant for the May 7 Town Meeting. The bylaw is a revised version of the one that failed to get the needed majority at a special Town Meeting last November, with the biggest change being that the revised bylaw deems all small-scale rooftop mounted solar panels "as-of-right" citing. This essentially means that no special permits will be required for the type of roof-mounted systems that can power a house.

"It's for Town Meeting to decide," Hartnett said of the proposed bylaw.

Westport's Energy Committee met with the selectmen earlier this month to discuss preliminary plans to build a solar energy farm in the town's landfill.

If a deal is eventually reached, such a plant could provide as much as one-third of Westport's electricity, officials said.

The town's Master Plan, meanwhile, is being updated for the first time since 2004. The plan is a series of documents intended to outline initiatives and guide policy going forward.

"It's in the very preliminary stages" Hartnett said. "We're looking at the results and we'll start working on goals and objectives and different aspects of the plan."